Don’t get spooked that the watts-per-channel specs on these receivers seem low. While other manufacturers tend to inflate their power ratings, Harman Kardon sticks to real-world numbers–in other words, Harman Kardon’s 30-watt receiver may sound just as loud as another company’s “100-watt” receiver.

Of course, Harman Kardon fans have always trumpeted the brand’s excellent sound, but we’ll have to wait until we get our hands on a review sample to do a comparison. Harman Kardon also puts a big emphasis on making products easy to use, and we have to admit that the company’s manuals are a cut above the competition.

Harman Kardon 154

While most audio manufacturers trot out a new line of AV receivers every year, Harman Kardon generally sits out of the “feature war” and lets its models stay in the product line longer. That’s why it’s a big deal that the company has announced three new receivers, bringing many cutting-edge features that were previously missing from the company’s lineup. As always, these new receivers have Harman’s typically refined look, and now that some of the models include updated features–like high-resolution audio decoding, a high-def graphical user interface, and video upconversion–you won’t have to settle for beauty without brains. Let’s take an in-depth look at the new line.

(Credit:
Harman Kardon)

Harman Kardon AVR 354

(Credit:
Harman Kardon)

7.1 channels, 75 watts per channel
Three component video inputs
Six digital audio inputs (three optical, three coaxial)
Includes The Bridge II docking station for
iPod
$800 list price, available now
Read the full user manual (PDF)

The following products are available:

On Sale Now: $599.99
View the latest prices for Harman/Kardon AVR 254

On Sale Now: $978.99
View the latest prices for Harman Kardon AVR 354

Key features of the Harman Kardon 154:

Harman Kardon 254

Overall, these receivers are a big improvement over the existing models, but they’ll face an uphill battle versus the competition. Onkyo’s TX-SR606 has most of the same features as the Harmon Kardon 254–plus it has four HDMI inputs–and it’s currently selling online for about $440. Sony is also offering four HDMI inputs in the midrange level, and the STR-DG820 only costs $400.

7.1 channels, 50 watts per channel
Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding
Faroudja DCDi Cinema video processing, with upconversion to 1080p
High-definition user interace
Automatic speaker calibration
XM-ready
$600 list price, available now
Read the full user manual (PDF)

Step-up features on the Harman Kardon 254:

(Credit:
Harman Kardon)

Step-up features on the Harman Kardon 354:

Harman Kardon 354

5.1 channels, 30 watts per channel
Three HDMI 1.3a inputs
Standard Dolby Digital and DTS decoding
Two component video inputs
Five digital audio inputs (two optical, three coaxial)
Source input renaming
No onscreen display with HDMI, standard-def menus
$400 list price, available in July
Read the full user manual (PDF)